Ecosystem

People wearing different types of black and white clothes sit and stand among orange and yellow seats on the New York subway

New research can ‘fingerprint’ a city’s ecosystem to better understand the microbes within it

Science

Studies found that cities closer to the ocean have more marine microbes within their transit systems, while those near parks have more plant microbes.

A view of tundra landscape in the Rocky Mountains — 11,000 feet from sea level.

In the dead of winter, plants are already starting to prepare for spring — underground

Science
A visible color satellite image centered on Georges Bank

President Obama just created the Atlantic’s first national marine monument. What is it?

Science
Post-Sandy rebuilding in New Jersey

In post-Sandy New York, a Dutch architect pushes oysters, islands and inlets to fight future floods

Environment

Understanding the Sounds of Ecosystems

Exotic Plant and Animal Invaders

Plants and animals which get imported from other locations, known as “exotics,” can sometimes dominate new ecosystems that do not have the necessary predators, or other checks and balances, in place to protect against them. Invader species can threaten biodiversity by killing off the other species in their path. Chris Bright of the World Watch […]

The World

Blanton Forest

In the eastern United States, old-growth forests south of where the glaciers ended are fragments of an ecosystem perhaps a hundred thousand years old. In Southeastern Kentucky, a 2300-acre tract known as Blanton Forest is just such an ecosystem  ? and state and private organizations want to turn it into a nature preserve while developing […]

The World

Blanton Forest

In the eastern United States, old-growth forests south of where the glaciers ended are fragments of an ecosystem perhaps a hundred thousand years old. In Southeastern Kentucky, a 2300-acre tract known as Blanton Forest is just such an ecosystem  ? and state and private organizations want to turn it into a nature preserve while developing […]

The World

Living on Earth Profile # 12: Eugene Odum, the Godfather of Ecology

Forty years ago Eugene Odum wrote a book that revolutionized the academic approach to the science of ecology. Odum advocated the integration of plant and animal studies into holistic, ecosystem studies. At age 81, Odum is writing about his ideas for general readers. Mary Kay Mitchell of WUGA in Athens, Georgia has this profile.

The World

The Howl of the Wild

The wolves are back in Yellowstone. The plan to reintroduce the canines has been politically controversial, but what has it meant for the park’s ecosystem? Jyl Hoyt of member station KBSU previews what impact the predators may have on the balance of nature in the park.